Draft-equalizer.



No. 679,938. 'Patenten Aug.` e, mm. BLANCHETTE.

DRAFT EGUALIZER.

(Application led Apr. 16, X901.)

(No Model.)

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this invention.

UNITED STATES llrrilarmr OFFICE.

JEFFRIE BLANCHETTE, OF CHIPPEWA FALLS, lVl'SCONSlN.

DRAFT-EQUALIZER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 679,938, dated August 6, 1901.

Application filed April 16, 1901.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JEFFRIE BLANoHETT-E, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chippewa, Falls, in the county of Chippewa and State of Wisconsin, haveinvented a new and useful Draft-Equalizer, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvement-s in draft-equalizers.

One object of the present invention is to improve the construction of draft-equalizers and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive device designed to be employed in connection with a pair of horses or other draft-animals and adapted for use on wagons, plows, and analogous vehicles and instrun'ients and capable of dispensing with the ordinary singletrees. v

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which in the event of one of4 a pair of horses falling down will prevent the other horse from pulling against the horse which is down and at the same time cause the load to be held by the horse which is up, whereby the fallen horse will be rendered perfectly free in its movements and permitted to get up without unhitching it from the vehicle or plow.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 isaplan view of an equalizer constructed in accordance with Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional View. Fig.`3 is a detail sectional view illustrating the construction of end caps or supports.

i Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a doubletree centrally secured within an approximately U-shaped yoke 2, which forms a pulleyblock andlwhich is extended in advance of the doubletree to receive a double pulley 3, and the said yoke is also extended in rear of the doubletree to form a loop 4, into which is linked a ring 5. The rin g5 is adapted to engage a hook-shaped arm 6, mounted on a plate 7, which is secured to the rear end of a pole 8 and to a cross-bar serai No. 56,108. (No man.)

9, which is located at the rear end of the pole and which is rigid with the same. The ring 5 `is retained on the arm by a resilient tongue 10, preferably struck up from the plate 7 and having its Aterminal bent downward to form a Haring mouth. The tongue is slightly inclined and the ring 5 is adapted to be readily placed on and removed `from the arm when the proper pressure is applied. The arm, which extends rearward, is rigidly mounted on the plate 7 and may be secured to the same in any suitable manner, or it may be mounted on the pole.

The yoke, which may he of any desired coniiguration, is preferably reinforced at its top by a central rib, and its upper side is up- Wardly offset or bent adjacent to the front face of the doubletree l to receive the said double pulley 3. The double pulley is mounted on a bolt 1l, having its head countersunk in the lower side of the yoke and provided at its upper end with a nut.

The double pulley receives the inner portions of a pair of chains 12 and 13,which also are arranged on end pulleys 14 and which are provided at their ends with a series of elongated links 15, adaptedto be connected with the traces and to permit theconnection to be lengthened and shortened. The double pulley is provided at its center with a supporting-flauge,which receives the inner portion of the left-hand chain 13, and the inner portion of the right-hand chain 12 is supported by the bottom of the yoke. The draft-animals are hitched to the ends of the chains, each animal being attached to the outer portion of one of the chains and to the inner portion ofthe other chain, whereby the draft-animals are adapted to pull against each other when drawing a load. Should either of the horses fall, the other horse will be prevented from drawing upon the horse which is down by means of a pair of stop-rings 16 and 17, adapted to engage the yoke and one of the end caps or supports, whereby the load of the vehicle or the like will be held by the horse which is up 'and the latter will be prevented from drawing upon the horse whichis down. Also the horse which is down Will be perfectly free to get up and it will be unnecessary to unhitch it from the vehicle to accomplish this result.

The end pulleys 14 are mounted in end caps IOO ends of the cross-bar 9 by means of rings 23,A

fitted upon the same. The short chains or links 22 form flexible connections and permit the necessary play of the doubletree.

The ring 5 is designed to be provided with a hook 24, which will enable the doubletree to be connected with a plow-clevis or a chain for hitching atearn to a plow,'a logging-sled, or any other load to be hauled. The rings may be made detachable from the ends of the' cross-bar 9 or the short chains or connections 22 may be detachably secured to the rear ears to permit the doubletree to be disconnected from the cross-bar. When the device is employed on a vehicle, the hook 24 is not required, and it is preferably made detachable.

It will be seen that the device is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction,

Y that it possesses great strength and durabillike and that should one ot' the horses fall ity, and that it is adapted to dispense with singletrees. that it may be employed for connecting a team to all kinds of vehicles, plows, and the the other will be prevented from pulling upon it and will be caused to hold the load, and

thereby leave the horse which is down perfectly free to get up; also, it will be clear that the doubletree may be readily detached from the pole and the cross-bar when itis desired to hitch the team toa plow or other load.

The doubletree is provided with a central opening 26,and it has small 'clevises 27, located adjacent to its ends. The central opening 26 is adapted to receive a pivot for mounting the doubletree on an ordinary wagon-tongue, and the clevises are adapted to receive staychains for connecting the doubletree to the running-gear.

What I claim is- Furthermore, it will be clear` meas cross-bar, end pulleys mounted on the doubletree, and the chains arranged on the said pulleys and having their inner portions located adjacent to the pole, substantially as described'.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pole, and a crossbar, of a doubletree, a yoke centrally secured to the doubletree and extending in advance and in rear of the same and forming a rear loop, a pulley mounted within the front portion of the yoke, end caps or supports mounted on the endof. the doubletree and provided with forwardly and rearwardly extending ears, exible connections between the rear ears and the ends of the cross-bar, end pulleys mounted between the front ears, and chains arranged on the pulleys, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pole, and a cross-bar, of a doubletree, a yoke centrally connected with the doubletree and extending rearward from the same to form a loop, a pulley mounted between the front portion of the yoke, a ring linked into the loop formed by the yoke, a plate provided with an arm to engage the link and having a tongue for retaining the linkl in such engagement, end pulleys mounted on the doubletree, chains arranged on the said pulleys, and means for connecting the ends of the doubletree with the endsbf the cross-bar, substantially as described,

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pole and a cross-bar, of a doubletree detacliably connected at its center with a pole, means for flexibly and detachably connecting the ends of the doubletree with the ends of the cross-bar, pulleys arranged at the center and ends of the doubletree, and chains arranged on the pulleys,sub stantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a doubletree, central and end pulleys, and the flexible connections arranged on the-said pulleys and having their in ner portions located at the center of the doubletree, each of the flexible connections 'being provided with a single central stop located between the central and end pulleys and arranged to engage either of the same to limit the movement 'of the flexible connections,

substantially as described.

l. In a device of the class described, the combinationy with a pole, and a cross-bar, of 1 a doubletree, a yoke centrally connected with the doubletree and with the pole and extendi ed beyond the doubletree, a pulley mounted in the yoke, flexible connections between the f endsof the doubletree, and the ends of the In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses. f

` J EFFRIE BLANCI-IETTE. Vitnesses:

JOHN S. MoNAL, J. H. STANLEY. 

